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The Pagan Festival Ostara

Posted by Rose Hale
on
March 23, 2017

Ostara
is the one of the eight pagan festivals throughout the Wheel of the
Year. Each season is celebrated and regarded as equally important. It is
also a way to understand the natural world and its changes and become
more in-tune with the environment. This is one of my favorite times of
the year – if I could choose!

The 21st March marks the Spring Equinox. The wondrous time of the
year, parallel to Autumn Equinox. It is a time of balance – when the
length of night and day are completely equal.
And it is the gateway into Spring! – the very first day of spring! The
days will now get longer and the night shorter as we move into the
summer season.

As well as the light and dark, other aspects come into balance –
masculinity and femininity, inner and outer etc. But this festival marks
the time of the year when light defeats the dark as we are coming out
of the cold winter months. Where the world, which would have seemed like
it was dying to our ancestors, begins to bloom again with life. It is a
time of fertility, renewal and rebirth.

Ostara originally took its name from the Germanic goddess
Eostre/Ostara, a representation of fertility and regrowth. And
interestingly, the female fertility hormone has been influenced by the
name of the goddess – “Eostrogen.” And this is where the Christian
celebration of Easter evolved! – itself a celebration of rebirth.
And indeed, the things associated with modern day Easter are traditionally Ostara symbols – a Hare, Eggs and Hot cross buns!

The Goddess Ostara is most closely associated with a Hare – she is
shown having the head and shoulders of a hare. The hare is particularly a
symbol of fertility and abundance as in nature the hare is able to
conceive even whilst pregnant! And over the centuries this hare symbol
has become the Easter Bunny – who brings eggs to children on Easter
morning, the Christian celebration.
Also, for many goddesses in Paganism, the Hare is a symbol of the moon.
This also links to modern Easter celebrations as Christian Easter is
determined by the phases of the moon.

The egg itself is very important! It represents potential and new
life – symbolizing fertility and all creation. It can optimize the
masculine and feminine balance; light and dark in the yolk and egg white
– the Sun God and White Goddess.
It is even seen by many traditions a symbol representing the entire universe.
It shows balance of all things for but a moment until the energy comes through bringing growth and rebirth to the world.

Finally, the hot cross bun too represents balance. The decoration of
the cross on top can be seen as the Celtic Cross, the four armed cross
within a circle. It represents the four seasons, the four directions of
N, E, S, and W as well as the five sacred elements Earth, Air, Fire,
Water and Spirit in the centre.
And the circumference is the cycle of the year – the circle of life. Pretty cool right?!

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And if you did decide to add a little pagan celebration to your home
there are some traditional items and color associated with the
festival: